by A. M. Kusi
“Let’s exchange numbers.” Jasmine offered, pulling out her phone.
Mia helped Jasmine carry the car seat into the Stardust Café. The smell of fresh coffee and sugary treats instantly enveloped her. A sign in bold lettering made it clear that all of the offerings were gluten-free. She hoped they didn’t taste it.
“Hey, Jasmine. What happened?” a beautiful woman in a flowery sundress asked from behind the counter.
Jasmine nodded for Mia to follow her through the back to the kitchen.
“Long story. Mia here was kind enough to be my heroine. Mia, this is Remy, my sister-in-law.”
Remy took baby Zoey from Jasmine and gave her cheek a kiss before she reached out to shake Mia’s hand. Mia set the car seat on the floor.
“Mia, it’s nice to meet you. Are you new in town?” Remy asked as Zoey wrapped her chubby fist around and pulled one of her braids.
“Yes, I just moved from California.”
“Wow. That’s quite the change of pace, I’m sure. You couldn’t have picked a better town. What do you do for work?” Remy asked.
“She’s not going to work at your café, Rem. She’s a business owner herself,” Jasmine interjected, taking a cookie off the cooling rack.
“Oh, you are? What kind of business?” Remy asked, adjusting Zoey on her other hip.
“I’m opening a yoga studio.”
“Good. We need more women in business in this town.” Remy smiled.
“Are there many?” Mia asked.
“Besides my café, and Jasmine’s bed-and-breakfast, there’s the book store, but I can’t think of any other businesses owned solely by a woman.”
“You own a bed-and-breakfast?” Mia asked Jasmine.
“Yes, The Lighthouse Inn. About two miles down the coast from where you found me stranded.” Jasmine turned to Remy. “Doesn’t Charli own the bar?”
Remy shook her head. “No, her husband’s parents still do, but she basically runs the whole place. I never see Zeke or Claire there anymore.”
Jasmine nodded.
Zoey reached for the remaining cookie in her mother’s hand.
“She’s just like her mommy—a sugar addict.” Remy smiled.
“Let’s hope that’s all she gets from me,” Jasmine said, seemingly hiding behind a smile as she handed over a large cookie crumb to her daughter.
Remy’s expression morphed into concern. “You’re doing an amazing job. She’s loved and fed and clothed. What more could a baby want?”
“Mia needs some caffeine,” Jasmine said, quickly changing the subject, taking Zoey back in her arms.
“What can I get you?” Remy asked.
“Just a black coffee, with one of your lavender scones,” Mia answered.
“Coming right up.” Remy walked back out into the main part of the café and started making the coffee.
Jasmine spoke. “I just wanted to thank you again for helping me out today and letting me vent. I’d really love to pay you back in some way. I’m having a barbecue at The Lighthouse Inn this evening. Remy will be there, and my brothers—just a few friends and fellow local business owners getting together to have a drink and some great food. Remy is making dinner. I’d love if you came as my guest.”
Mia smiled as her chest tightened. She liked Jasmine, and the woman seemed genuine and friendly. She could use a friend right now—hers were thousands of miles away on the other side of the country.
You have to put yourself out there.
“Sure. That sounds fun. Let me know if I can bring anything.”
Remy came back into the kitchen, handing her the coffee and a wax paper bag. Mia wrapped her fingers around the warm paper cup, breathing in the delicious aroma. “Thank you. How much do I owe you?”
Remy shook her head, her braids swaying with the motion. “It’s on the house.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Do you have any family out here?” Remy asked.
Mia sipped the coffee before shaking her head. “No. My mother died last year and my father passed when I was a child.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Remy said.
Mia gave her a polite smile.
“I really hope you’ll come tonight,” Jasmine said.
Remy glanced at her sister-in-law. “Oh, yes! Please come. I’d love to hear more about your plans for the studio.”
“I’ll text you the address,” Jasmine added.
“Alright. Sure.” Mia agreed before saying goodbye and thanking Remy one more time for the coffee. She got into her car and took a bite of the lavender scone. An explosion of flavor filled her mouth. The floral essence of lavender mixed with the flaky sweetness of the scone. Seemed like the gluten-free pastries might just be better than she’d thought, much like the locals in this new town. She smiled and headed towards the grocery store.
***
Hours later, Mia placed the last polvorones on the plate and licked her finger clean of the powdered sugar. They were still warm—just the way she liked them. She slipped on a pair of flip-flops and walked over to her neighbor’s door and knocked. She waited patiently, nerves filling her belly as she carefully balanced the plate of cookies in her hands. It was important to have a good relationship with your new neighbors—and food was the way to everyone’s heart.
The pounding of footsteps came closer. A dark shadow passed behind the thick glass of the door just before it flew open. Her neighbor’s confused expression quickly morphed into one of anger.
What the fuck is his problem?
“H-hi. I’m Mia, your new neighbor. I thought I’d introduce myself.”
He towered over her, jaw clenched. His hands fisted at his sides as his eyes raked over her body. She was sure that was lust in his dark gaze, but the man also seemed livid just with her presence.
“I brought you some polvorones. You might have heard them called Mexican wedding cookies here.”
He stared at the plate, his jaw ticcing. More awkward silence.
“Um . . . did I do something to upset you?” she asked, her patience wearing thin.
Something hesitant flashed in his eyes, but then it was gone. “Stay the fuck away from me,” he growled just before slamming the door in her face.
She was too stunned to speak. What a complete asshole. The nerve of this guy. She’d tried to be friendly. No one turned down her mother’s recipe.
Oh well, at least now she’d have something to bring to the barbecue. She needed a reminder that there were some people in this town who were decent human beings.
One thing was for sure—her neighbor wasn’t one of them. And she’d be damned if she ever tried to be nice to him again. She’d just have to avoid him like the plague, neighbor or not.
Chapter 2
Andre
Pulling on a clean T-shirt, Andre ran through the to-do list in his mind, checking off all that he had accomplished for the day. His team had completed a contract on a renovation that afternoon.
Seaview Construction was so close to hitting the goals he and Mikel had set when they’d first started the business as a side gig years ago. With Mikel back, things were finally starting to move in the right direction.
He righted his pants and fastened a black belt around his waist. A flash of something white caught his eye. The new neighbor’s bedroom was directly across from his. She was sitting, only visible from the lap up. She seemed to be on the phone and laughing about something. His cock stirred to life. His body tensed in anger.
Women were all the same. They were all Tiffanys and Teresas. So why was it this one had made him feel something, this desire to take a fistful of that ponytail he’d seen jogging in front of him and pound into her from behind?
Hormones. Nothing more, nothing less. Or maybe she was a witch. Either way, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she stayed out of his life�
��which he hoped he’d made clear during her visit earlier. It wasn’t like him to be so rude to a woman, but something came over him every time he looked at her. That something was the reason he needed to stay far away from her.
Fuck, I don’t need this right now.
Maybe he should take Bently’s advice and try one-night stands occasionally. All that built-up sexual tension was what this was. As much as his cock wanted to, he would not explore that option with his neighbor.
Andre’s phone rang. Mikel.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I just wanted to tell you I met with a new client today and got the paperwork finalized. She’s paying extra to have us start the renovation on Monday. You good to go?”
“Yeah, we finished the Vaughn job this afternoon. I did the final walk-through with him. What is it this time?”
“A studio reno. It’s gutted already, starting mostly from scratch,” Mikel answered.
“Sure, I’ll stop in the office Monday and get the paperwork, then we can head to the site to meet the client.”
“Sounds like a plan. This job is gonna be big, bro. This is the one that puts us ahead of projection,” Mikel said.
“Well then, I better not fuck it up.” Andre chuckled.
“Yeah. I’ll see you soon.” Mikel laughed.
“Yup.”
Andre ended the call before throwing the phone onto the bed. He peeked outside the window, the white billowing curtains moving aside to show her floral comforter, now devoid of the bewitching woman with the coffee hair. Why did that disappoint him?
He grabbed a snap-back hat from his closet before heading towards his car.
***
As he carried the case of IPA around the back of Jasmine’s bed-and-breakfast, the familiar sound of his friends’ laughter against the steady crashing of waves on the beach filled him with joy. This was what he wanted in life—to succeed with his business, and to share good times with his friends and family.
“Oh my God! What a jerk,” Remy said as he rounded the corner.
Whoa. He was for sure seeing things. Could a lack of sex cause you to hallucinate? Sitting next to his sister and Jasmine at the very picnic table he’d shared countless meals and laughs with his friends was the unmistakable sexy body of his new neighbor.
Fuck me.
“Who’s a jerk?” Andre’s voice boomed, louder than he’d intended.
All eyes turned to gaze at him. Mia’s mouth parted as surprise painted her features. She seemed just as shocked to see him. What is she doing here?
“Dre, you have to hear what an absolute a-s-s-h-o-l-e Mia’s neighbor is,” Remy answered, spelling out the curse as his niece Lyra ran in a circle around the table of adults.
I’m an asshole? Hot anger boiled his blood. His body tensed, burning with unchecked rage. Why was she here? This was his sacred place with his friends. She was sitting in his goddamn seat.
Mia blinked a few times, neither one of them speaking.
“Uncle Dre!” Lyra ran up to him, breaking the staring contest.
“Hey, princess. You’ve grown since I last saw you.” Andre focused his attention on his niece. She was the perfect mix of Mikel and Remy with light-brown skin and curly dark hair.
“Phoenix grew too. Come see my baby brother.” Lyra held his hand with hers and led him towards the table where Bently reached out and grabbed the case from him.
“Oh, good, you brought my favorite,” Bently said, quickly popping off a tab.
Is Mia here with Bently? The thought brought a scorching sensation to his chest. Heartburn.
“Dre, meet Mia. She just moved to town,” Jasmine said.
“How did you all meet?” he asked, his gaze on Mia, who was holding baby Zoey. God, why did that sight tear him apart and seem to put him back together all at once? This was his family. Why was she here invading his space?
“Mia saved me. My car broke down and she gave Zoey and me a ride to Remy’s,” Jasmine explained.
“You got in a car with a stranger?” Dre asked, concerned.
“Not all people are jerks,” Mia said, as if she was defending Jasmine.
“I’d have gotten in the car with you too.” Bently smiled and gave Mia a wink.
Andre’s stomach roiled. The little witch had put all his friends under her spell.
“Back to this neighbor. What exactly happened?” Andre asked, seeing how far he could push her.
Mia swallowed and straightened her spine before she looked him in the eye and answered, “He ignored me when I said good morning, but I chalked that up to the fact that he probably didn’t hear me with his earbuds in. Then I waved hello, and he downright scowled at me. I figured I would give him one more chance—maybe he was having a bad day. I baked cookies.” She nodded towards the pile of desserts covered in powdered sugar on the table in front of them as Bently reached for one. “Strike three. He shut the door in my face.”
“Maybe he didn’t want to be bothered,” Andre said, leaning in.
“Or maybe he’s just an a-s-s-h-o-l-e,” she said almost as if it was a challenge.
“Only an idiot would turn down your cookies, Mia,” Bently said, smirking.
Andre clenched his fists. Were his friends taking her side? They hadn’t even been there. Women were all the same. Mia was a fake and a temptress.
“I agree.” She smiled, and good God—how could he hate something and love it all at once?
“Who is this guy? I’ll pay him a visit. Sounds like he needs to learn a few manners. What’s his address?” Bently asked.
“Autumn Street,” Mia answered.
Bently hesitated a moment and then looked at Andre. “You live on that street. Any idea who she’s talking about?”
“Nope.” He played dumb, part of him wanting to see how she would react.
“Really?” Mia challenged.
“What’s wrong if a man doesn’t want to say hello, or wave back, or have his day disturbed by a perky stranger with cookies? Who knows what you could have put in them,” Andre defended, his voice rising in anger. He grabbed a bottle of beer and twisted the cap off before gulping down half the bottle.
“Dude, chill out,” Bently said, eyeing him warily.
“Are you her neighbor?” Remy asked.
His friends’ shocked and intense gazes were all aimed at him. They’d been turned against him after one meeting with this woman.
Mia bit her bottom lip, seeming unsure. Now she wants to be quiet.
Remy handed baby Phoenix to Bently before she stood. “Dre, can I talk to you for a second?”
“Fine,” he said, following after her while draining the last of his beer. They walked towards the beach, out of earshot of the rest of their friends.
“What is going on with you?” Remy asked, getting straight to the point.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t give me that crap answer. You’re being mean to that woman. She’s a guest and a new friend of Jasmine’s and mine. Why would you be so rude to a person who came to introduce herself to you? This isn’t like you, Dre.” Remy worried her brow.
“Don’t you see? She’s playing you all.”
“What I see is the anger you have for what Tiffany did to you. That was a year ago. You need to move on and stop assuming all other women you meet are like her,” Remy said.
“I’m fine, Remy. I’m over Tiffany.” It still hurt to say her name.
“Mia seems like a good person. Jasmine was having a tough day and Mia helped make it better. She has no one else. No family or friends here, and you aren’t giving her a very good impression of Shattered Cove.”
She was alone? “Fine.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Andre sighed. “It means I’ll be cordial to her. Happy?”
Remy shook her head. “
It’s a start.”
Andre put his arm around his sister as they walked back to their friends. Mia was nowhere in sight. Had she left? Did he care? He walked into the bed-and-breakfast through the screen door, past the kitchen, and found the bathroom door closed, so he knocked.
“I’ll be right out,” Mia’s voice said from within. She sniffled.
Had he made her cry? A pang of guilt shot through his chest, unsettling him. Why should he care about this woman’s feelings? It was probably just an act for sympathy. Tiffany used to cry too. But his ex had never done it privately—it was always out in the open to manipulate him. So, maybe Mia was sincere? He should just bite the bullet and apologize.
She opened the door, chocolate tresses spilling around her face. The scent of spicy roses enveloped him. The flash of vulnerability in her eyes made something deep and primal surge inside him. Up close, her beauty shocked his system with white-hot lust. His body reacted before his mind could catch up. Andre stepped into her space, crowding her against the door as his body towered over hers. Those big chocolate eyes staring up at him burned with fire.
“W-what are you doing?” she asked, her voice holding only a slight tremor.
“I have no fucking clue.” But I can’t stop it. And that makes it all the worse.
Her chest rose and fell. Her breasts pressed against his chest as they stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.
She stood taller. “I would appreciate some personal space.”
“Liar,” he said. It was clear from the way her eyes dilated and her breathing shallowed she was just as attracted to him as he was to her. “I fucking hate liars.”
“I hate assholes who think they can be mean and expect women to fall at their feet. Let’s be clear, Andre, was it? The only one falling to their knees will be you,” Mia said.
He was so distracted by her feistiness, instantly addicted to the challenge between them, that he didn’t understand why he was suddenly, in fact, on his knees holding his junk as it radiated with pain. He groaned and hissed through his gritted teeth. She kneed me in the balls!
Leaning down, she said, “Next time a woman tells you to give them space, you better listen.” She stepped over him and walked out.
